Ariana Grande Performing - H 2014
Scott Roth/Invision/APAriana Grande has issued a statement explaining and apologizing for a bizarre video that surfaced earlier this week in which she declared, “I hate America,” at a doughnut shop.
In the statement released Wednesday, July 8, Grande clarified that she is “EXTREMELY proud to be an American” and that her frustration with the country was aimed at its high child obesity rate — which led to her cursing the doughnuts.
“As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me, and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole,” says Grande. She later concludes, “That being said, let me once again apologize if I have offended anyone with my poor choice of words.”
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Earlier Wednesday, it was confirmed that Demi Lovato would replace Ariana Grande at the MLB All-Star Game concert on Saturday night in Cincinnati. Grande also addresses that cancellation in her statement: “As for why I cannot be at the MLB show, I have had emergency oral surgery and due to recovery I cannot attend the show. I hope to make it up to all those fans soon.”
Read the full statement below:
“I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I’ve always made it clear that I love my country. What I said in a private moment with my friend, who was buying the donuts, was taken out of context and I am sorry for not using more discretion with my choice of words. As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole. The fact that the United States has the highest child obesity rate in the world frustrates me. We need to do more to educate ourselves and our children about the dangers of overeating and the poison that we put into our bodies. We need to demand more from our food industry. However I should have known better in how I expressed myself; and with my new responsibility to others as a public figure I will strive to be better. As for why I cannot be at the MLB show, I have had emergency oral surgery and due to recovery I cannot attend the show. I hope to make it up to all those fans soon. That being said let me once again apologize if I have offended anyone with my poor choice of words.
– Ariana Grande”
Later Wednesday afternoon, Grande posted an image of her statement accompanied by an apologetic tweet: “need to clean up this mouth of mine & set a better example for my babes. i apologize and i love you. always learning.”
need to clean up this mouth of mine & set a better example for my babes. i apologize and i love you. always learning. pic.twitter.com/BkJWcLxR5y
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 8, 2015
3:48 p.m. July 8: Updated with Grande’s tweet.
This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
